Who Killed Ai Hoshino in Oshi no Ko?

Oshi no Ko is the hottest anime of the Spring season in 2023. It’s got a healthy blend of humor, drama, intrigue, romance, and even some incredibly dark mystery. Despite its initial upbeat tones it quickly shows you just how quickly an anime can shatter your heart in its prologue. But for those who haven’t read the manga for Oshi no Ko, the question of who killed Ai Hoshino in Oshi no Ko is still a burning one, and the answer is a little complicated. Heavy spoilers are ahead, so be careful!

Who Killed Ai Hoshino and Gorou Amamiya: Who Was the Murderer in Oshi no Ko?

The simple answer is that Ai Hoshino was killed by an enraged stalker, Ryosuke, in the prologue arc of Oshi no Ko. Upon learning that she was pregnant, he felt betrayed as a fan and tried to reach the hospital where she was attended to by Gorou Amamiya. Years later, Ai would be attacked and killed at her home by the same assailant, for the same reason.

Related: How to Watch the Oshi no Ko Simulcast on HIDIVE

Gorou caught onto Ryosuke when he was stalking Ai (not knowing who he was) and tried to prevent anything from happening to her, but in the process, was pushed down a cliff by the stalker and killed. As unfortunate as the wording is, it seems the two were taken down by an attack of the fanboy.

But the truth behind who is ultimately responsible for the death of Ai Hoshino in Oshi no Ko is a more loaded one than that.

SPOILERS: Who is Responsible for Giving Ai’s Stalker Information Leading to Her Murder?

Aqua, Ai’s son who is Gorou’s reincarnation, made it his new goal and obsession to track down and take revenge on the man who fed information to Hoshino’s stalker. He quickly caught on that the likeliest candidate for this was their illegitimate father, whose identity was likely an industry secret. During this process, Aqua found several possible candidates across multiple arcs in the manga and anime.

Aqua believed that it was likely somebody else in the industry Ai would have met and fallen in love with at some point during her time as a teen idol. During the Entertainment World arc, Aqua continued on his path testing the DNA of possible fathers including director Masaya Kaburagi, with disappointing results. He would continue through the 2.5D Stage Play arc only to find that the answer is even more complicated.

Believing Ai to have found somebody in the Lalalie Theatrical Company, Aqua’s pursuits eventually bring him into all sorts of acting opportunities. He finds work in television, dating shows, a stage play, and other projects while discovering his half-brother, Taiki Himekawa. Aqua quickly believes this to mean that Taiki’s father, Seijuurou Uehara, is the man responsible for Ai’s death. It’s eventually revealed that Taiki’s mother cheated with another lover, interfering with the DNA results linking Aqua to Taiki, and driving Seijuurou to suicide. The man responsible, however, is now the prime suspect. Final spoiler warning!

Who is the Real Father of Aqua and Ruby Hoshino?

The real father is revealed to be Hikaru Kamiki, a sadistic mastermind with lethal charisma, blonde hair, and matching starry eyes that resemble dark voids, similar to how Ruby’s have become in the most recent chapters. While he made his first appearance in the story in Chapter 72, it’s not revealed how he was connected to Ai Hoshino being killed in Oshi no Ko until Chapter 109.

Related: Oshi no Ko Manga Chapter 116 Release Date, Time, and Spoilers

Kamiki likely leaked Ai’s information to the killer resulting in her death and passed along the information about his affair to Taiki Himekawa about his wife, Airi. In Chapter 109, he demonstrates his willingness to kill beyond contriving circumstances where others do the killing for him when he pushes top actress Yura Katayose off a cliff to her death.

The manga is not finished yet, with the latest chapters still building up to Aqua’s fateful meeting with this monster, but this will be a fateful, explosive encounter when they do.